


Sacrifice

by Lpjaz



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, BAMFs, Bandits & Outlaws, Bows & Arrows, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Multi, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lpjaz/pseuds/Lpjaz
Summary: Drabbles about my own female creation of Alis. A badass, sassy gal.





	Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing of Horizon. This is going to loosely be a form of story, I have a few chapters planned depending on what you guys think of it. I know it starts out of the blue but this scene was the first that came to me and I had to get it down. I've fleshed out the following chapters but I don't really know where it's going.

**Shit**

More bandits were starting to appear out of the forest line ahead of them. Alis chances a glance behind her to see how the others are doing. Aloy is pale and still leaning heavy on Erend, so she won’t be able to help, Rakir is looking nervous and Kort meets her eyes stoically.  Aloy’s the biggest worry though, her side is still bleeding profusely and Erend’s normally orange scarf is soaked through with crimson. The only way down from the mesa is on a ladder into the valley below and Alis knows Erend will need to help Aloy.

“Right. Erend give me Aloy’s hardpoint arrows.” Erend looks confused but dutifully reaches into Aloy’s quiver and retrieves the arrows handing them over. Turning to the other two Oseram Alis starts to give out the orders.

“Kort go ahead of Erend and get to the ladder, help him with Aloy and once you reach the bottom find somewhere to camp and wait for Rakir.” Kort nods and shuffles carefully around Erend staying close to the large boulder the group are hiding behind. He stops shoulder to shoulder with Alis and eyes her up.

“And what’s your plan then girl? What are you going to do?” His tone is gruff and demanding. Eyes boring into hers but she knows he already knows her answer.

“I’m going to give you time to run”

“No” everyone’s heads turn to Aloy as she breathes out her objection. “No, you can’t…not again.”

Erend moves to calm her with a kiss to her molten hair but she looks distressed.

“Aloy it’s the only way you’ll make it down alive. You need to get to Meridian and warn Avad of the coming attack. Your too important to die here.” Alis reaches for Aloy’s hands and gives them a quick squeeze before turning to Rakir.

“Once Aloy and Erend are over the ledge go down after them. Cover them from above…incase…” Ali’s couldn’t finish that thought, she couldn’t.

“I understand.” Rakir forever understanding her gives her shoulder a squeeze and nods towards the bandits. Around 30 of them had amassed on the ridge above and were readying to attack. Alis unhooks her sling and readies her blast bombs. Loading one and drawing it back she crouches just at the edge of their hiding place. Giving one last look at the group she pounces from behind the boulder loosing a blast bomb towards the nearest group of thugs.

“NOW!” Alis yells and she sees out of the corner of her eye Kort dart behind her and makes a beeline towards the ladder, making it over quickly.

Firing more bombs back at the bandits, who had now taken a serious interest in this lone warrior trying to fight them back. Arrows whizzed towards her and she had to drop to the floor trying to avoid one arrow that was particularly too close to comfort. Alis let fly another bomb and brings a few bandits down in flames. Giving Erend enough time to half drag, half carry Aloy to the ladder and get her over the lip of the mesa. Alis turns her attention back to the bandits just as she sees a particularly menacing looking guy aim his arrow at Erend’s exposed back. Flinging herself towards Erend she draws a bomb back and lets it fly towards the bandit just as the thug looses his arrow.

Alis watches the guy explode and the surrounding bandits dive for cover. Then the pain hits, she can’t feel her left shoulder.

“ALIS!” it was Rakir.

Looking down Alis finally notices the arrow lodged deep, just under her collarbone, blood already starting to soak the surrounding armour and tunic.

**Shit. Shit.**

Dropping her sling she dives out the way of another arrow heading straight for her head.

Whilst on the ground she catches Rakir’s worried eyes and gives him a faint smile. Looking back towards where Erend should’ve been all she can see is the top of his mohawk. She turns back to Rakir and motions to him to get to the ladder and get down.  Alis heaves herself back to her feet and unhooks her bow from her back. Firing arrow after arrow towards the remaining bandits she checks to make sure that Rakir is following her orders. Satisfied he is, Alis turns her attention back toward the nearest bandit and lets an arrow fly into the guy's left eye.

“Alis come on!” Rakir’s voice carries over the whoosh of arrows and Alis turns to look back at him perched on the top few steps of the ladder. Backing towards it she reaches into her quiver to retrieve what alarmingly she realizes is her last arrow.

Thud.

Pain.

Right shoulder flares in agony.

Alis looses her last arrow towards the bandit to her right, deadly accuracy ensuring that the bandit's brains drench the earthen ground. Breathing hard she reaches for her spear and braces herself on it 10 paces from Rakir. Meeting his eyes.

“Go!”

Rakir lingers for another second looking as though he wants to argue before disappearing down the ladder. Alis turns back towards the approaching bandits, hauling her spear up.

,…………………………………………………

Aloy couldn’t believe it was happening again. It was Rost all over again. She craned her neck to look up towards the ridge and where she could just see Alis, fighting fiercely to hold the bandits off.

“Aloy come on we have to move.”

Erend’s voice cut through her reverie and she focused on his concerned face, the way his eyes crinkled in worry. But she couldn’t move they couldn’t make her, she had to help. It couldn’t happen again.

There was a cry from above and Aloy directed her attention back to the mesa. Alis was down on one knee a bandit skewered on her spear, an arrow protruding from her left thigh to match the ones in her chest and shoulder. The tears came then unbidden and she felt Erend’s rough hands trying to force her to climb down and vaguely she could hear Kort yelling up to them to move but everything was a blur and all Aloy could focus on was her friend, laying down her life.

That’s when she spotted the bandit slinking around the edge of the mesa, bow drawn taught pointed at Alis.

“ALIS ON YOUR RIGHT!”

That got the attention of the Huntress, but not in time. It was all Aloy could do to not try and climb back up there as she watched the arrow fly in slow motion towards Alis. Alis had swung around at the sound of Aloy’s cry and had managed to hurl her spear towards the advancing enemy.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Another arrow joined its brethren buried in Alis’ body. It pierced her right side knocking the breath out of her as she collapsed to the ground. The pain was becoming unbearable but Alis realized that the bandits were still advancing. Taking out her hunting knife she turned towards the ladder and started to drag herself towards it. She tried not to look at the blood trail she was smearing in her wake.

Reaching the edge of the mesa she looked over the edge, Rakir had made it down and Erend was practically half dragging Aloy down the ladder. Rakir’s eyes met hers and even from the ridge, she could see the tears in them. Aloy’s verbal protests could be heard and Alis allowed herself a smile, the Nora was a fierce woman even when injured.

Alis suddenly realized that she hadn’t been killed yet, what was taking those bandits so long to come and kill her? She glanced over her shoulder and was bemused when she noticed them backing away towards the edge of the forest. That’s when she heard the telltale _twang twang_ of bombs being loosed from their sling. Alis was sure the others heard too because they had all stopped to look up towards her.

Even in her pain-addled mind Alis knew what she had to do, she grabbed the edge of the ladder and started to hack away at the rope binding it to the cliff. It easily came away and just before she cut the last rope loose she gave one last look towards Rakir, hoping her eyes conveyed her apology. Then the bombs started to fall, the first too far to be felt but the second fell much closer and the heat from the blast seared her legs. Alis knew the next wouldn’t miss. Slicing through the final rope she let the ladder fall watching as Kort caught Aloy and Erend fell with a thud. Alis knew Rakir would be fine, he had good armour and tough bones. The whistle of the bombs approached and Alis turned to her right, bracing for the impact.

Her last coherent moments were of searing pain and then weightlessness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Aloy’s breath caught in her throat as she saw Alis appear over the edge of the mesa hunting knife in hand and the edge of the ladder in the other. She knew what was about to happen.

“NO, let me go we have to help, no no no nono….” her protests were useless as Erend coerced her down the ladder. Then the bombs started to go off and Aloy didn’t think she could even see anymore. She was going to suffocate, she felt Erend’s arms around her pulling her into his armoured chest.

“Aloy we have to move otherwise it will all be in vain.” He spoke softly but she knew he was right. Then she was falling staring up at Alis as the explosion engulfed her friend's body and throwing it off the cliff. Aloy shut her eyes unable to watch.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment your opinions, I welcome constructive criticism. Hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts. thanks for reading :)


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